


Angel City

by layslikefrito



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: Angst, Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:27:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26337973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/layslikefrito/pseuds/layslikefrito
Summary: Christen gets her call to play football with the Angels. Tobin hates that it had to be so soon.I suck at summaries I'm sorry.
Relationships: Tobin Heath/Christen Press
Comments: 10
Kudos: 71





	Angel City

**Author's Note:**

> While I'm in the midst dof editing "And She Was My Everything" I wanted to put out some quick stories that I've written. As always let me know what you think.

Tobin wakes and looks over at her alarm clock. 7:38 AM, it reads. She sighs and looks over at the space next to her. Empty. It’s cold. She’s been gone for a while. She gets up from her bed and walks over to the window adjacent to their bed. She pulls the curtains back and glances at the world outside. It’s dark. There’s a heavy overcast. The sky is gray and mean above them. The clouds are brewing an ugly storm. It’s likely going to rain within the hour. A light drizzle to start. Lightning and thunder to finish. She hopes she makes it back home before the storm gets bad. 

A piercing cry breaks her thoughts. Right, a child. She has a child. She looks to her right and sees the baby monitor. It’s on her side of the bed now. Of course it is. She put it there before she left. She knew she wasn’t going to be here when the baby woke up. She sighs and turns away from the window. She walks to her daughter’s room. She’s in the doorway when she pauses. She looks at her daughter who’s standing against the rails of her crib, crying, waiting to be held. She looks just like her mother. Beautiful. She walks over and reaches out to her, the baby immediately raising her arms to be picked up. She lays her head on Tobin’s shoulder, “Mommy” she says softly. She knows it’s dark outside. 

With the child safely in her arms, she walks into the kitchen. She put her baby girl into her highchair and sits on the stool next to her. Chin on her fist, she looks at her little girl, eyes the same beautiful shade of green as her mother’s. The child’s little eyes boring back into the honey brown ones looking at her, full of innocence, full of wonder, full of love. “Are you hungry, Annie?” Annie, short for Anastasia. Little Stacy. Anastasia Kiersten Heath. Kiersten because Tobin was adamant about naming the baby after her mom. Heath because Christen was adamant about them all having Tobin’s last name. 

“Eat. I eat meal.” She says in her two year old voice. Words not yet fully developed. Tobin smiles at her, and gets up from her stool. 

“You want oatmeal? That’s your favorite, huh? Yeah, you like the apple flavor. Your wish is my command kid. I wish mommy was here. Because then she could make you oatmeal, and I could just hold you and give you a thousand little kisses.” Annie looks up at Tobin and smiles when she hears the words mommy and kisses. Mommy gave the best kisses. “One pack of apple oatmeal coming right up.” She says as she starts to prepare Annie’s food. 

She watches as her daughter feeds herself. Or tries to at least. Half of it ends up all over her tray. “Can mama help?” She asks her daughter while reaching for the spoon. 

“Mama help.” Annie repeats, giving up the spoon to Tobin.

“Yeah, mama help. The tray is eating more than you are babygirl,” Tobin laughs softly. “Your mommy would go insane if she saw your chair right now. Mommy doesn’t really like messes. But you know what I’d do?” Tobin asks while giving her daughter another spoon of oatmeal. “I’d give her a kiss and tell her to relax. And then she’d relax because I’m just good like that. Well actually not really, she’d just tell me to clean it up.” 

She grabs Annie from the chair and puts her on the floor and hands her her cup of milk. Chocolate almond. Her favorite. Tobin proceeds to clean the mess they made and a loud clap of thunder roars through their Portland home. She immediately hears the cries of her daughter from the living room. She drops what she was doing, going to cuddle the little girl. “It’s ok babygirl. It’s just the thunder. It can’t get you.” She says rocking her back and forth. 

“Mommy.” The little girl wails into Tobin’s chest. Tears begin to weld in her own eyes. She continues to rock her daughter back and forth in the middle of the living room, keeping her sheltered, keeping her safe. Their safety is always Tobin’s priority. She hopes her wife is somewhere safe.

The afternoon passes in a daze. They played for a few hours after Annie had calmed down. They had a snack in the form of grilled cheese and grapes. They both enjoyed naps as the calming sound of the rain poured down outside of their home. The storm offered comfort for Tobin. It was a process that was guarenteed. The rhythmic sound thumping against the window. The thunder roaring loudly every couple of minutes. They don’t see the lightning. But Tobin knows it’s there. It completes the cycle. She looks to her left and watches as Annie sleeps. She looks to her right and sees the clock. It reads 6:12 PM. 

Dinner. It’s time for dinner. Christen still isn’t here. She’s late. Tobin’s upset almost. Her phone rings beside her. She knows it’s not Christen. Because why would it be, she doesn’t call anymore. She picks up the phone and sees Pinoe’s happy face plastered on the screen. She answers. 

“Hey, P.” She says with a small smile. 

“Hey, Tobs. How are you guys?” Pinoe asks. 

“We’re alright. It’s storming here, so we’ve just been chilling inside. Staying cozy.” Tobin responds.

“Yeah, I was gonna ask about the storm. It was raining pretty hard here through the night and early this morning. They said it was gonna move pretty far south. Into northern California even. Which is crazy. How’s Annie handling it?” 

“Damn, that far? But she’s been a trooper. She cried in the morning when the thunder hit but that was it. She’s sleeping right now,” She says as she turns to look back at her daughter, who’s looking right back at her. “I guess I lied. She just woke up.” Tobin picks her up and lays her against her chest. “Look who it is, Annie. Say hi.”

“Oh my goodness. She’s so precious. Looks more and more like Christen everyday. Hi Annie. I miss you.” Pinoe coos through the phone. 

“Hi. I see you?” Annie says.

“I’m gonna come see you this weekend. I promise.” Pinoe says to her.

“Shoe?” Annie asks.

“Yep, Sue’s gonna come too. We both miss you and mama so much.” Pinoe tells the little girl.

“Mommy?” Her little voice asks through the phone.

“Yeah, we miss mommy too. She’s gonna come see you.” Pinoe says softly. 

“Ok, P. I have to feed this little one. We get to have chicken and rice tonight.” Tobin says to her friend.

“And bwathy.” Annie yells to both Pinoe and her mama. 

Tobin laughs at her daughter’s outburst and adds, “Yes, and broccoli. Can’t forget the broccoli.” 

“Alright I’ll let you guys go. Have a great night. I love you guys. And I’ll see you this weekend.” Pinoe says.

“Say bye, Annie.” Tobin tells her daughter as she wraps up her phone call with Pinoe.

“Ok let’s go eat munchkin.” She says as she treks to the kitchen with Annie in her arms. 

Dinner is quick. Baked Chicken breast, broccoli and cheese, rice with a light coat of thin gravy. Orange gatorade for Tobin. Chocolate almond milk for Annie. Her favorite. It’s still raining outside. The thunder has longer intervals between each strike. The tv is playing softly in the background. Cartoons. They’ll later lull Annie back to sleep. 

She doesn’t hear the door. Of course she doesn’t. Why would she? She feels her before she sees her. She always did. Her presence is like it’s meant specifically for Tobin. She knows she’s there. She doesn’t address her. She grabs Annie from her chair and cleans up the kitchen. 

She hears Annie in the living room. The constant giggling. The “I love you mommy”. The “I miss you mommy”. It breaks her heart. She doesn’t hear Christen say anything back. Of course she doesn’t. Why would she? 

She watches as her daughter talks to her mother. She smiles at the happiness on her face. The love in her little eyes, as she looks into a set that matches her own. Tobin’s jealous. And it breaks her heart. 

Annie eventually tires herself out and Tobin snuggles with her on the couch. She’s sitting on the end of the couch, Annie’s head tucked right under her chin. Not yet asleep, but not quite awake.  
“We see mommy tomorrow?” The little girl asks her mama.

“Yeah, we’ll go see mommy tomorrow.” She says as she kisses the little girl on her forehead. “Do you remember where she is?” 

“Angels.” Annie says softly into Tobin’s chest. 

“That’s right, she’s playing football with the angels.” Tobin says as she rises from the couch and goes to Annie’s room, ready to lay her down. She’s being followed. They don’t say a word to each other. Of course not. Why would they?

She lays Annie in her crib and stays until she falls asleep. She watches her for a little while before she makes her exit. She’s not followed this time. Christen takes her time making her way to her. Choosing to take an extra few minutes to be with her daughter. Watching over her as she sleeps. 

When she finally enters the bedroom she used to share with her wife, she breaks down. Tears falling heavily down her face. The pattern almost matching the rain outside. She hurts. She misses her wife. Knowing she’s there but also knowing that she can no longer have her. She wants to scream.

She feels her before she sees her. Of course she does. That’s just how it goes these days. But this time she stiffens. Hating being caught crying. Hating feeling watched. Hating feeling weak under her wife’s gaze. She feels her sit on the bed next to her.

“Why did you have to go?” Tobin whispers softly into the air. Her eyes looking straight up at the ceiling above her. 

“I miss you and Annie everyday, Tobin. You have no idea how much it hurts, baby. Seeing you and Annie go on without me. It hurts. I still process pain and grief. I want you to know that. I cry everyday thinking about you guys. I didn’t want to go, but I had to. It was time. And I know deep down you know that. It’s okay for you to be sad. But you have to be strong. You have to raise our daughter to be the best person she can be. There is no one in the world I would have wanted to share a child with, Tobin. I love you and Anastasia with everything I have. I know you don’t want to talk right now so I’ll leave you alone. I love you. I know you know that. I’ll see you tomorrow.” And with that, she leans over and kisses Tobin’s cheek, then makes her exit. Tobin doesn’t hear the door when she leaves. Of course not. Why would she? 

When she wakes up, it’s to the sound of laughter. Her daughter’s laughter. Not from the baby monitor. From the kitchen. She races to the sound and sees her long time friend and former teammate holding her little girl. She breathes a heavy sigh of relief and sends the woman a death glare. 

“What? I was out of coffee so I came up to get some. And then she was starting to fuss so I just grabbed her.” Kling says as she feeds Annie a spoon of apple oatmeal. 

“Thanks. I didn’t even hear her man. Last night was long.” Tobin says as she fixes herself a cup of coffee. 

“She had just woken up. I came here at eight maybe? I’ve been here for a while. This is her second bowl of oatmeal.” 

“Eight? Dude it’s eleven. I can’t believe I slept that long.” Tobin says rubbing her face sleepily.

“Any plans for today?” Kling asks while grabbing Annie from her chair.

“We’re going to see Chris.” Tobin says.

Kling nods in understanding and changes the subject. She stays with Tobin and Annie for an hour more before heading back down to her own apartment, letting the pair get ready for their trip. Tobin finds herself tying Annie’s shoes and bringing her downstairs to strap her in her carseat sooner than expected. They make a quick stop to the flower shop, never ones to show up empty handed. 

They park and exit the car. Tobin carrying a backpack filled with snacks and Annie’s necessities. Annie carrying a bouquet of pink and orange flowers. They walk for what feels like forever until they finally come to a stop. They’re face to face with Christen in her new home. 

“Give mommy the flowers baby girl.” Tobin says encouragingly to her daughter. 

Annie walks over the gravel and gently lays the flowers on the marble headstone. “Here you go, mommy. I miss you.” 

The two take a seat right in front of the headstone and Tobin takes out the PB&J she made for lunch. Chocolate Almond milk for Annie, orange gatorade for her, water for Christen. She reaches out and rubs the marble gently, “Hi, baby. We miss you so much.” She whispers.

Christen seats herself right in front of them. Back leaning against her headstone. She knows they know she’s there. She decides to make herself even more known. She tips over the water cup Tobin always sits out for her when she comes to visit. 

Tobin’s eyes widen as the cup tips over and a huge smile breaks out on her face. She laughs. Loudly and full of love and amazement. “Annie, say hi to mommy sweetheart. She’s here.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is the only one that's sad I promise. I was just feeling down and wanted to write it out and this is what came. Even though it's sad, I hope you enjoyed.


End file.
